The present invention relates to pest control techniques, and more particularly, but not exclusively, relates to techniques for gathering data from a number of pest control devices spaced about an area to be protected from one or more types of pest.
Subterranean termites are a particularly troublesome type of pest with the potential to cause severe damage to wooden structures. Various schemes have been proposed to eliminate termites and certain other harmful pests of both the insect and noninsect variety. In one approach, pest control relies on the blanket application of chemical pesticides in the area to be protected. However, as a result of environmental regulations, this approach is becoming less desirable.
Recently, advances have been made to provide for the targeted delivery of pesticide chemicals. U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,090 to Su is one example. Another example directed to termite control is the SENTRICON(trademark) system of Dow AgroSciences that has a business address of 9330 Zionsville Road, Indianapolis, Ind. In this system, a number of units each having a termite edible material are placed in the ground about a dwelling to be protected. The units are inspected routinely by a pest control service for the presence of termites, and inspection data is recorded with reference to a unique barcode label associated with each unit. If termites are found in a given unit, a bait is installed that contains a slow-acting pesticide intended to be carried back to the termite nest to eradicate the colony.
Unfortunately, these units are sometimes difficult to locate after installation, resulting in excessive time spent in inspection activities. For metallic units, metal detection equipment might be utilized to speed-up unit location; however, a significant number of buried metal objects are typically found in the vicinity of houses and other structures that would hamper unit detection in this manner. Moreover, it may be desirable to make the units from nonmetallic materials to such an extent that they are not readily locatable with metal detection equipment.
Furthermore, alternative techniques for gathering data relating to pest activity are desired. For instance, it is desirable to reduce the amount of time required for data gathering by pest control services. Also, it is desirable to enhance the reliability of data gathering techniques and to obtain more comprehensive pest activity data.
One form of the present invention includes a unique pest control technique. In another form, a unique pest control device to detect and exterminate one or more selected species of pest is provided. As used herein, a xe2x80x9cpest control devicexe2x80x9d refers broadly to any device that is used to sense, detect, monitor, bait, feed, poison, or exterminate one or more species of pest. In still another form, a unique pest control device locating technique is provided.
A further form of the present invention includes a unique pest control system. This system includes a number of pest control devices and an interrogator to gather data from the pest control devices. The interrogator may be in a hand-held form configured to individually establish wireless communication with each of the pest control devices.
Another form of the present invention includes a pest control device that has a unique wireless communication capability, such as a passive RF communication circuit responsive to a stimulation signal. This device may optionally include an active wireless communication circuit.
Yet another form of pest control device of the present invention includes a communication circuit that provides a signal to uniquely identify the device. Furthermore, the communication circuit may transmit a signal indicative of pest activity associated with the device.
Still another form of the present invention includes a wireless communication circuit that is configurable in a first assembly for detecting the presence of one or more pests and a second assembly for delivering a pesticide once one or more pests are detected. The wireless communication circuit is moved from the first assembly to the second assembly in response to pest detection. Each of these assemblies can be arranged to alternatively reside in a pest control device housing.
In an alternative form of the present invention, a pest control device includes a unique monitoring bait that is at least partially comprised of a magnetic material. In a further alternative, a pest control device includes one or more environmental sensors to gather data about one or more corresponding environmental characteristics.
A still further form of the present invention is a pest control device that includes a member arranged to be consumed or displaced by one or more pests and a sensor circuit with an element comprised of a conductive, nonmetallic material that is operably changed by consumption or displacement of the member. In one embodiment, the element is made of a carbon-containing compound having a volume resistivity of at least 0.1 ohm-cm.
Yet a further form includes a pest control device that has a sensing element electrically coupled to a circuit by one or more connection members comprised of an electrically conductive, elastomeric material. In one embodiment, this material includes a carbon-filled silicone rubber and the sensing element is formed from an electrically conductive carbon ink. An enclosure can be included to house at least a portion of the circuit. This enclosure can be arranged to cooperate with the one or more connection members to resist intrusion of moisture.
Additional forms, embodiments, aspects, features, and objects of the present invention shall become apparent from the drawings and description contained herein.